Page 95 of Missing Marcus

“What if things don’t get better? Fuck, Patch. She’s divorcing me in a week. She’s allowing me to stay right now because she doesn’t want me to create waves concerning the baby at court. What happens when we return?”

His friend shook his head. “Keep working the steps. You have a baby together. It’s not as if you won’t see her. I can’t promise you anything else. I do, however, have some news.”

“About Wilkinson?” he asked, hopefully.

“No. My nosy neighbor got a job offer and plans to sell her house. With Bryanna living here, Seattle isn’t far away; I wondered if you might want to check it out.”

He scowled. “It’s bad enough listening to you greet me daily with ‘Hey Asshole’ you think I want to share yards with you?”

“Serenity’s a nice place. You have the views, the schools rate high, considering Kassie and Victoria donated money to revamp it and the library. Plus, the proximity to your sister adds a bonus. It might come in handy once the baby arrives.”

Shaking his head, Knight paced the room. “I need a steady job. I blew it with the team. My sister calls me a butthead. What if Gabby moves? I want to stay close to my child…and her.”

“You’ll figure it out. The house can turn into a great project and act as therapy. Ask me how I know. If you saw how ineptly Claire handles a screwdriver and how many projects she tried fixing, you’d understand how I got my shit together. She even got the glass off the fireplace and I’m still not sure how she did it.”

Setting his hands on his hips, he considered it. “The job worries me. I don’t want to drive into Seattle every day during rush hour. If Gabby stays in the city, I’ll never be home. If she lived here, by the time I returned home, I’d get here in time to see my child eat dinner and go to bed. I want to stay involved.”

Patch scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Shit. I wonder where you might land a job in Serenity working security?”

“Come on. You know I blew my chances. They’re only helping because of Saint and Gabby’s Bryanna’s friend.”

“It seems to me you handled an op today without acting like an asshole until your wife got partially drugged. If it happened to Claire again, I’d lose my shit, too. None of the men on the team claim perfection. We’ve all screwed up at one time or another.”

“Like me?”

“Nobody’s that stupid. Seriously, you’re making changes. Trust me, Leo saw how you handled the op. If you want a job working with the team, put on your big girl panties and straight out ask him. He’s at the facility tonight.”

Knight glanced toward the bedroom. “What about her? She fought sleep for a while because she’s worried.”

A grin spread across his friend’s face. “Maybe if you stopped playing around with her, you wouldn’t have greeted me so enthusiastically.”

He punched Patch in the arm, grinning like a jackass. “Can you keep an ear out? I’m not far away. I can race back if needed.”

“Get going, asshole, before I change my mind.”

Knight grabbed his keys and wallet and raced to the door. Opening it, he turned back to his first real friend. “Thanks, Patch.”

The man sent him a middle finger, making him grin wider as he got into his truck and headed to see Leo. The idea of joining the team made him feel lighter, as if a load lifted from his back. It wasn’t about money or a desperate need for the job. It felt like anticipation. Knight focused on his future and possibly Gabby’s for the first time in a long time and he hoped.

40

Leo met Knight at the door. He turned and headed toward the kitchen. “How’s Gabby?” the leader asked as he poured a cup of coffee for himself and one for Knight. He took them to the table and nodded for Knight to sit in the chair across from him.

Knight scanned the table. Usually the leader sat on the end, yet Leo sat across from him, making them equal.

“She finally fell asleep. Her nerves appear shot and they kept the fetal monitor on her,” he reported nervously.

Leo nodded. “Understandable. I spoke with Julio’s men. They plan on raiding soon. Another player’s due to come in and they want to catch him. Hopefully, it’ll happen any day now.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. He’d sleep better knowing Gabby and his child remained safe. “Good.”

“I’m assuming you didn’t come here to drink this mud. Do you have something on your mind?”

“Yes. I came to talk to you about a position on the team. My actions during the first interview were inexcusable. Claire and I meet daily and I’m working on myself. I don’t want an answer from you tonight. With Gabby expecting a baby, I want time off to help her. My marriage isn’t stable and my head’s not in the right place. Recently, a house went up for sale here in Serenity and I’m considering it if it turns out halfway decent. Bryanna lives nearby, and I hope Gabby will stay here.” Knight placed his hands around the hot cup, gripping it while Leo mulled over his babbled request.

“You seemed focused today. I still have some concerns and no one joins this team without a consensus. I may lead my men, but they have a say on who they work with. You don’t get any points for having Saint as a brother-in-law. Your actions determine your place on this team. Before I can answer, I’ll expect a report from Claire on your ability to work with others and if you have any triggers.”

“Consider it done,” Knight agreed.

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